When the cockatoo named Cocky Bennett passed away in Sydney, Australia, in 1916, it had reached an age that most people can only dream of.
With a remarkable lifespan of 120 years, Cocky was born when George Washington became the President of the United States and Napoleon was just an unknown soldier in the French army. It was even born before the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, and may have even been older than the first vaccine. By the time Cocky died, tanks and machine guns had replaced horses and muskets, airplanes could fly automatically, and Londoners used elevators to descend to the subway stations for their morning commutes, according to IFL Science.
Cocky Bennett at the Sea Breeze Hotel in 1914. (Photo: Sutherland Shire Library).
As a domesticated parrot with light yellow plumage, Cocky was expected to live for around 80 years, roughly the same lifespan as its caretaker. Surpassing that threshold by 50%, Cocky outlived at least two owners. According to historian Catie Gilchrist, it spent its first 78 years traveling the world with Captain George Ellis, who used his ship for trade in the South Sea Islands.
Upon Ellis’s death at the age of 87, Cocky was handed over to the captain’s grandson. After circling the globe seven times with its previous owner, Cocky then lived with a couple named Joseph and Sarah Bowden. It wasn’t until 1889, after Joseph’s death and Sarah’s remarriage, that Cocky truly became famous. Sarah and her new husband, Charles Bennett, purchased the local Sea Breeze Hotel, allowing the cockatoo to reside there for many years.
According to Gilchrist, Cocky was quite talkative, beloved, and well-known among thousands of residents and tourists for its cheerful personality. The bird was kept in a cage on the front porch of the hotel, where it could watch parades pass by and meet friends. The bird became famous for its humorous catchphrases, the most notable being “If I had more feathers, I would fly.” This saying originated from Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD), which caused Cocky to spend its last few decades with a bald head. This viral disease is common and kills 50% of cockatoos today before they reach sexual maturity.
This illness also resulted in Cocky’s unusual, long, hooked, and twisted beak. By the end of its life, Cocky could only absorb nutrients by eating prepared mashed food. It died on May 26, 1916.
